Blues brace for Bulls
3 Mar 2013
MARK KEOHANE writes the Blues are talking up the Bulls but it should be the other way around.
Blues coach Sir John Kirwan singled out the Bulls pack, the influence of Pierre Spies and the educated boot of Morne Steyn as the biggest threat to a third successive Blues win.
Many in South Africa would disagree and I would be among the many.
The Bulls were poor against the Force and it would take a monumental transformation to beat the Blues in Auckland.
Kirwan told the New Zealand media: ‘The Bulls are big on forward-orientated rugby with Steyn getting them down there. They try and play a bit more footy than they used to but when you have the accuracy of Steyn and the drive of Pierre Spies, you have a confident rugby team who know how to strangle football teams.’
The Bulls play the Blues, Crusaders, Reds and Brumbies in the next month and on the evidence of the first two rounds could battle to get a win overseas.
The Cheetahs, having looked good against the Sharks in Bloemfontein, were pumped in Hamilton.
It could be an indicator of what Bulls fans could experience in the next month.
38 Comments
3 Mar 2013, 23:14 pm
@keocoza Can’t see the Blues beating the Bulls 2 years in a row, traditionally the away team wins this fixture.
3 Mar 2013, 23:18 pm
Blues brace for Bulls http://t.co/C5d3v2ASDD via @sharethis Bulls could take four beatings on tour
3 Mar 2013, 23:25 pm
RT @mark_keohane: Blues brace for Bulls http://t.co/C5d3v2ASDD via @sharethis Bulls could take four beatings on tour
3 Mar 2013, 23:46 pm
If the Blues change their approach from what we’ve seen in the past 2 weeks to a style looking at combating the Bulls truck and trailer, territory based…get Morne into kicking range type of rugby…they will shoot themselves in the foot and deserve what could be coming to them
4 Mar 2013, 02:24 am
On form Blues should thrash Bullies – Morne or not. The question is, will the Blues have the same tenacity they showed until now.
4 Mar 2013, 03:11 am
Blues by plenty.
4 Mar 2013, 03:22 am
If rugby is indeed the game devised where courageous carriers of the ball are intensive in their desire to breach opponents defenses and cross the opponents try line which to all intended purposes is the object of the exercise then Blues should wallop Bulls into a new state of apathy they have not visited yet.
4 Mar 2013, 04:27 am
@skopdiekan-5:
That should definitely be the plan, Skop…if implemented…Bulls will surely get to the promise land called Apathy….
4 Mar 2013, 04:39 am
Blues biggest challenge is to not go into hypothetical respect mode. If they start talking Bulls kicking domain supreme capacity up and try playing a territory dominated game they’ll do themselves no favors. They should treat Bulls like they tackled Crusaders just run them ragged from the front bullocking the bully as they unlocked the Crusaders through direct hard nose quick offload attack minded rugby then they shouldn’t have too much problem dealing with a team who places most their religious reliance on kicking themselves to victory.
4 Mar 2013, 04:50 am
@skopdiekan-7:
Yes, but, even with all the play they were only up by 8 points against an undercooked Crusaders.
The Israel Dagg try that was disallowed sealed it at the end IMO, because if it was given it was a 5 point ball game with 5 odd minutes to go and we know the Saders could be dangerous from that position.
As it turned out the non try turned into a 14 point swing with the Blues getting a breakaway score.
Not saying the Blues didn’t deserve to win, 5 tries to 0 says it all, but I still think it could have turned out different if for that Dagg call.
If the Bulls suck them in to a tight forward orientated match it might be difficult for the Blues to play the way they want, similar to what the Stormers are going to have to do against the Chiefs.
4 Mar 2013, 04:51 am
@Te Rangatira-6:
TR
Well done with remaining in the nr. 1 spot.
Keep it up
4 Mar 2013, 05:05 am
@Nortie …thanks mate…picking up the yellow cap seems to be a key in this game…makes a bit of a difference…I have a nagging feeling, Stormers will come right this week…but have to go for Chiefs
4 Mar 2013, 06:02 am
blues backs will run rampant over the Bulls backs..
expect plenty of traffic through Mornes channel, ant the centre pairing of the blues to score at least 2 tries.. we all know SA teams cant score tries, so one team will have to at least make the game appealing to the spectators..
if the Blues dont sort out their penalty/conversion kicking then the Bulls may have a chance..
if the cheating filthy scum jafta saffa ref referees then I expect the bulls to be close… they seem to always go great when they have their own ref
4 Mar 2013, 06:13 am
“the drive of Pierre Spies”
classic JK, farken funny.. he’ll crab sideways as always, he’s probably the biggest cat to come out of africa…
4 Mar 2013, 06:59 am
@skopdiekan-5:
you are turning into a little bit of a groot bek anti-bulls breker lately, Skop
why?
are the Sharkies not giving you enough attention?
4 Mar 2013, 07:05 am
do it Bulls…
4 Mar 2013, 07:09 am
@Te Rangatira-10:
hi TR,
tell me your picks for the weekends games and i’ll lay a bet at the bookies.
4 Mar 2013, 07:44 am
JK & GH have instilled an infectious state of enthusiasm to this very young Blues side and have given their team the freedom to express themselves whether it be ball in hand in attack or in the trenches on defence. They genuinely look as though they are enjoying their rugby, a far cry to last years S15 side. They took on a “star studded” cantabs side and demolished them and look set for more against the Bulls this weekend. BTW adding to skopdiekan & norteird’s comments, the Cantabs were out enthused in last weekends game. Pushed around in the tight with very little go forward ball, the backline became ineffective. IMO the Bulls best chance of victory is playing with ball in hand in the Blues half, drawing penalties and Steyn converting. That means possession would be key so the Bulls have to stop kicking the ball away.
4 Mar 2013, 07:47 am
@nortierd-8: everyone talks about the Blues attacking prowess but no mention of the resolute defence they displayed especially in the 2nd half where they repelled a fired Crusaders team who camped inside their 22 for 10min & had 2 tries held-up.
4 Mar 2013, 07:53 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-15:
Hi Houston….Put your money on the Blues…Chiefs & Cantabs…All the teams you respect and love…
4 Mar 2013, 08:12 am
Bulls almost lost to the bloody Force, what chance do they have against a sader beating blues?
4 Mar 2013, 08:21 am
Just need to adjust their game plan and their players…
15-beyers
14-mastriet
13-olivier
12-serfontein
11-mapoe
10-steyn
9-vermaak
8-spies
7-botha
6-stegman
5-kruger
4-vd merwe
3-kruger
2-wepener
1-mellet
16-mbonambie/visagie
17-kirsten
18-hatting
19-cook
20-hougaard
21-pollard
22-venter
4 Mar 2013, 08:21 am
@Te Rangatira-18:
haha
no seriously, give me your picks for the weekend and i’ll place a wager on it.
4 Mar 2013, 08:39 am
This going to be a tour to hell for those Bullies. They will limp back to the Loftus with only 2 losing bonus points.
Blues by 11
Saders by 8
Reds by 6
Brumbies by 7
Count on it.
4 Mar 2013, 08:55 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-21:
I don’t really know until I’ve done a little homework. I’ve only seen the highlights of some of the games…so I’ll give you my picks on Friday….In saying that I usually go for the home teams…but see the Chiefs& the Crusaders winning away..
4 Mar 2013, 09:06 am
@Te Rangatira-23:
ok thanks TR, if you get it to me before fridays first game i’ll play it and will glady share any winnings
4 Mar 2013, 09:13 am
@i_love_u_bakkiesbotha-24:
Yep…algud…I think the pressure of money is going to destroy my amateur ideals of Super Bru and my relatively ok luck will come to an end because of it.
4 Mar 2013, 09:19 am
RT @mark_keohane: Blues brace for Bulls http://t.co/C5d3v2ASDD via @sharethis Bulls could take four beatings on tour
4 Mar 2013, 09:33 am
@Te Rangatira-25:
hehehe
no probs TR, if you think it’ll jinx you then dont bother, there’s no pressure, boet
its up to you, but Murphy’s Law being Murphy’s Law you’re probably right, the moment we put some money on it it’ll go to s.hit.
4 Mar 2013, 10:23 am
The Bulls don’t stand a chance. Blues have had a psychological edge on these guys for years. The Blues were horrible last year, and still managed to pump the Bulls.
4 Mar 2013, 11:06 am
Good morning all my fellow bloggers,against all the doom and gloom predicted for the bulls by the host of experts who blog on this site, all i can say is UP YOURS.Skop i agree with bakkies,just because the 2nd raters have got humped two weeks in a row,dont blame the bulls fans for their demise,your team has played kak defensive boring rugby for the last two seasons in super rugby,and you have the cheek to slag the bulls.I watched that awful game on saturday and capastango made to my mind the comment of the weekend ,on 72 minutes of the game he said “even at this late stage of the game jean de villiers is full of running” and i had to laugh,that is because he did NOTHING the whole game he should be full of running.He was invisible and he really is by his sell by date.Te rangatira is it the hurricanes you support.
4 Mar 2013, 11:20 am
@the curse-12: Watch the games boet , stop cursing every-one
4 Mar 2013, 13:31 pm
That Blues backline is ridiculous this year!!!
4 Mar 2013, 14:36 pm
If the Blues continue were they left off the past 2 weeks, there is no way that the Bulls will be able to keep up. Really enjoying there positive approach, combining physicality with exciting running rugby. Hoping Serfontein gets a start, by far the best centre the Bulls have to offer.
4 Mar 2013, 14:42 pm
It will be interesting to see the NZ efforts against a more determined defensive effort. The Kiwi effort in that regard has been terrible
4 Mar 2013, 21:47 pm
Seamus
another drunk Irishman huh? but yeah agree
the blues and chiefs conceded no tries last weekend, shocking defense. unlike the Cheetahs and Bulls
and the less said about the stormers/ sharks game the better
In fact, why not worry about saffa teams scoring tries. only one of them managed it last weekend
4 Mar 2013, 21:58 pm
@seamus-32:
The way I see it…can the Sa sides hold out Nz teams vaunted attacking game.. we’ll definitely see this weekend….Also if the defensive effort of Nz teams has been “terrible”, the Bulls and Stormers should be looking for bonus point tries this weekend…hehe
5 Mar 2013, 09:26 am
@Te Rangatira-34: Stormers scoring a bonus point lol Well you can’t generalize NZ teams, Chiefs had the second best defence last year i think?
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